The Future in the Past
by oncoming-neatly-folded-swan
Summary: (Part 2 of 2) Each TARDIS crew is split up and separated across time and space. The Doctor's Daughter sees a sinister light at the end of the tunnel and with the help of some old friends, can everyone get back to their proper time lines? (Episode 8 in the series.)
1. Chapter 1

"What?" The Doctor stared, his face twisted in anger and confusion, "What?!"

"They're gone, where did they go?" Rory asked, he rubbed his eyes and look around them.

They were still in the rather empty so-called bar _at the edge of the universe_. It was very quiet.

"But that's _not_ possible!" The Doctor shouted, still glaring at the space McKenzie had disappeared from.

"Doctor," Jack snapped. He grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him to his senses, "That looked like an emergency temporal shift, how can she be able to do that?"

"I don't know!" he snapped, "It shouldn't be possible! It _isn't_ possible!"

"Well, clearly it is, she just did it! And what do you mean you don't know?" Amy snapped, looking between The Doctor and the space where her Doctor had been standing, "She's your daughter isn't she?"

"Not yet she isn't... For us, we didn't even know about her. This is how we found out." He paced up and down and ran his hands through his hair, **'McKenzie...? McKenzie!'** he stood still, squished up his face and thought as hard as he could, usually she would just respond, her sweet and somewhat raspy voice would just drift into his head. But it didn't. He started pacing again.

"Argh! I need to think." He snapped, "Stop breathing so loud." He pointed at everyone as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. "People can't do that... People shouldn't be able to do that... but she isn't ordinary people. She was an experiment! She was– she is... my daughter... She's _our_ daughter." He calmed a little and stopped pacing. "I don't know what's been done to her or how or even why... But I'm gonna find out." He ran inside his TARDIS.

"What are you going to do?" River asked as she and the others followed him inside.

"Something… Everything. Anything!" He lifted up some of the floor panels and rummaged through the TARDIS chucking things over his shoulder, "A jump like that must have left something behind, kind of residue or a trace around the edges–"

"Of course!" said River, "To do that she would have had to rip a hole in the fabric of time–"

"Exactly!" He turned sharply to face her, making her jump. "Anything I could trace, while it's still open!"

River smiled as she looked deeply into his wild brown eyes, she recognised that her Doctor was still there, but he was different somehow. This time he wasn't looking back.

"I can follow them and get her back!" He turned to the console, "Ha!" he pulled out a small object that looked sort of like a snow globe. He jumped up and ran out of the TARDIS, the others followed him again.

"Well we know he's definitely The Doctor..." said Rory, "Because I didn't understand a word of that."

The Doctor held the globe out in front of the last bit of smoke before it disappeared. He pointed his sonic screwdriver at it and the last of the smoke shimmered inside the globe.

"Right then." He said, running back into the TARDIS, "Let's see if we can find you..." he plugged the globe into the console as everyone ran after him, a little out of breath.

"Temporal shift?! _Temporal. Shift!_ "

McKenzie awoke, startled by the younger Doctor's outburst. He rambled apparently having not noticed her.

"That's not a thing people can do! What kind of people are you? In fact–" He abruptly turned to McKenzie, making her jump, "What kind of people are _you_?" He examined her closely, pointing his sonic screwdriver at her.

"Oh... That's funny... When _he_ tried to find out who I was he didn't scan me at first... He uh– he just poked me..."

The Doctor eyed the scan absentmindedly, "We'll there was really no need for that, maybe he just likes poking..."

McKenzie went to speak, but then thought better of it.

"Oh no... No I didn't say that, pretend I didn't say that." He waved his hands in front of his face. "But you're from Florran originally, now somehow infused with Time Lord DNA, how did that happen exactly?"

"Well–" she shrugged.

He made a strange face, a mixture of curiosity, slight disgust and what she could only peg as a tiny bit of excitement, "It wasn't when you–?"

"No!" she snapped.

"Yes, of course not... But I am still interested–"

"Um–?" she stared at him, quite shocked.

"In the fact that you're infused with Time Lord DNA... Not _that_ obviously." He slapped himself in the face with his right hand, "No, that would be weird..."

"Uh... Doctor?"

"Yes?" he smiled at her obliviously.

"Where is she?"

"Oh! Yes, her..." he pulled McKenzie along by her wrist.

They had landed in a cobblestone alleyway, it was raining and they were all soaking wet.

Pandora was lying out cold a few feet away from them.

"Is she ok...?" McKenzie knelt at her side.

"She's quite fine, I moved her under cover when I woke up."

"And not me?" she looked up at him.

"Well, no– Uh, I was going to, but you woke up when I got back." He shuffled awkwardly.

"Of course..." she rolled her eyes, "Well, perhaps we should try and work out where we are? I mean we haven't got a TARDIS... So for now, we're stuck here."

"Yes, it would seem that way... Right!" he looked around, "Where are we? Got to be Victorian... It's got that distinct victoriany feel to it... Yorkshire. Has to be. The rain... tastes like... puddings... puddingy rain. Yep it's–"

"London." Said McKenzie.

"What was that?" he turned to her, cocking his head to the side.

"London. Victorian yes, you're right." She put on a cockney accent, "But it has to be London. Can't you smell _the smell_?"

"Are you sure lass?" He spoke with a Yorkshire accent, "And what might that smell be?"

"Oh you know, the London smell, don't matter what time I come here, it always smells the same."

They laughed together, "You play this game a lot then? Your man must be right chuffed with yo–" he stopped.

"What's wrong?" she stopped using the accent.

"Nothing..."

"No... Something's wrong. Talk to me."

"Nothing's wrong... it's just, you... He– _I_ found _you_..." he smiled, McKenzie smiled back and they stepped closer together, "You're together and you're happy and look at you!"

McKenzie blushed and looked down at the floor, "You're eyes..." he said placing his hand on her cheek, "They're beautiful."

McKenzie looked back up at him, his eyes almost twinkled. She placed her hand on his and felt a similar rush to the one she had felt the first time her Doctor had taken her hand.

"You really think–"

"Ahem." They heard someone clearing their throat behind them.

McKenzie looked over The Doctor's shoulder to see that a horse and carriage had rolled up at the end of the alleyway, a short lumpy looking bald man was watching them.

"Um Doctor... There's a sort of... potato man... watching us."

"Is there?" The Doctor smiled, turning to see then quickly turning back to McKenzie, "Ooh, it's a Sontaron..."

"The Doctor and his companion will enter the carriage." The Sontaron stated.

"Will they?" asked The Doctor.

"Yes, _you_ will."

"Alright then." The Doctor headed to the carriage.

"Wait, Doctor–" she tried to stop him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong? He clearly knows us, he's been waiting for us, what could possibly go wrong?" He winked at her.

"Alright..." she said apprehensively, "Help me carry her will you?" she pointed to Pandora.

"Right, yes of course."

McKenzie grabbed her shoulders and lifted her up, The Doctor held her legs and they carried Pandora into the carriage, she was still out cold.

"So, Mr Potato Dwarf, where are we going?" asked The Doctor.

"I cannot say sir. And please do not ask any more questions on pain of excruciatingly horrible death."

"I'm sorry what now?" asked McKenzie.

"This is exciting isn't it?" The Doctor smiled, "This has all been planned out! It's like they knew we were going to be here."

"I did sir, this is all on the orders of Ms Murphy and The–" said the Sontaron, flinching like he shouldn't have said that.

"Wait, Murphy?" said McKenzie.

"Ah, I didn't say that, you didn't hear anything. Silence! Puny Time Lords." He snapped.

"How did you know–?"

"No more questions please."

"Oh but this is ridiculous..." she sighed, "Wait a minute... This seems familiar. Wait, oh! I know you! Well, I don't, but you do!" she pointed to The Doctor.

"I do?"

"Well, not you... _my_ you... I kind of have, well, all of his memories. Stored away." She tapped her head, "Up here, little side effect... But I remember something– I just have to find it..." she rummaged through his memories, 'Victorian London, Victorian London... crash landing, t-rex, deep breath, Victorian robots, Victorian Clara, Sweetville, the _crimson horror_ , the great intelligence, the snowmen, pond, paternoster...' as she thought, a feeling swelled in her head, with each door she opened a warmth drifted into her mind. A warmth that grew to become an overwhelming heat, burning in her very soul.

"Paternoster... Paternoster Row!" she exclaimed, rubbing her temple as the heat slowly calmed.

"What about it?" The Doctor asked.

"That's where we're going isn't it? Paternoster Row?" She asked, "Saah...s...s...St...Str...Strax, Strax! That's your name isn't it? Oh, I am on a role!"

"What else do you know...?" The Doctor asked apprehensively.

"Everything–" she looked at him excitedly and then calmed down, "Uh... yeah. I know everything. I try to keep it locked away... Only use it when I have too. But it's difficult. Him being on my mind and all... him... you..." They smiled at each other, "If I think about it too much. It's only a short while before..."

"Before what?" his expression changed

"Before it starts to burn... I'm empathic, so everything he– everything _you_ feel... I feel it too. He's still not sure how because he's said out of everyone he should be the one person I can't read. But I can… and sometimes it gets a bit much, all that emotion, all that pain–"

"And you're ok with all of that...?"

"You wouldn't be you without it." She smiled at him.

Strax cleared his throat again, "We are here." he opened the carriage door and helped carry Pandora into the house they had parked outside.

"Hallo there." a short, dark haired cockney woman met them in the foyer.

"Jenny!" The Doctor said excitedly.

"Alright, Sir?" The Doctor hugged her, "This way please, there's a room made up for her and towels should you need to dry off."

She led them up the large staircase into a small bedroom on the right.

"Sorry, but– Jenny, right?" asked McKenzie.

"That's right, McKenzie."

"How did you know to be there?"

Jenny helped McKenzie place Pandora down on the bed, as she spoke she made things comfortable for her.

"We had a message, from you and The Doctor, last time we saw ya."

"But, I've never met you... How can that be?"

"Oh come now..." a voice echoed from the halls, "Are you telling me that you of all people can't figure it out?"

"Well... I suppose we meet you in our future, which was in your past..." McKenzie shrugged.

"Exactly." A tall green scaled woman came into the room.

"Gosh... You must be Madame Vastra..." McKenzie smiled awkwardly.

"Vastra, oh this is exciting, you two living in a house together with Strax as your butler." Said The Doctor.

"Wait, you mean he doesn't know?" asked Jenny.

"This is very early in his time line..." McKenzie whispered something to Jenny.

"Oh right..."

"Memories are easily rectified." Said Vastra, "But he is fine to know what he needs to, for now..."

"So... who is she?" asked Jenny, pointing to Pandora.

"Well, she's our daughter." said McKenzie, "I mean... me and _my_ him... not him, him"

"Oh, congratulations!" Jenny smiled.

"What did I tell you?" McKenzie asked, "When I was here before?"

"You told us when and where to be... and to have a bed made up and ready." said Vastra, "Nothing more, nothing less. We don't know any more than what you know about what's to come."

"Which is next to nothing..."

"Exactly." Vastra smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone watched as The Doctor tried, unsuccessfully, to make the TARDIS land. The console sparked and an uncomfortable sounding gurgling noise echoed around the console room.

"Argh!" The Doctor shouted through gritted teeth as he slammed his hand down on the console. He turned away in anger and frustratedly ran his hands through his hair.

"What is it, what's wrong?" River asked sitting on the edge of the console.

"It's not working...! I have a time, a location, but she won't land!" he faced the console and slammed his hand down on it again, this time making a few things spark.

The TARDIS made a very sickly sounding noise. Everyone looked around as the sound echoed around them.

"Well, breaking the TARDIS isn't going to help." River said, placing her hand on his. The Doctor pulled away quickly, without even looking up at her.

"Can't you just land nearby and wait for her?" Amy asked.

"No, we don't want to risk any kind of paradox, if the TARDIS won't land then we need to figure out why." River said, as if nothing had changed, it was just another adventure with The Doctor.

Everyone looked a little uncomfortable as The Doctor glared at River. It was like he was trying to figure five things out at once.

River turned to him and almost panicked, she couldn't get a read on what he was going to say.

"What's wrong with you anyway?" Amy snapped, "The Doctor I know wouldn't just get grumpy and give up! What changed?"

River tried to stop Amy from speaking but she was too late, Amy had already squared up to The Doctor. They locked eyes and glared at each other, River recognised the look of rage in The Doctor's eyes. Lots must have happened between regenerations for him to be this angry over being separated from his companion. He knew that he, or at least a past version of himself was with her... so why was he so worried?

Amy almost looked frightened after a few moments of glaring.

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. He turned around and left, heading down the corridor further into the TARDIS. The crew stared at the doorway, unsure what to think or say.

"Should we follow him?" Rory asked.

"Probably best to let him cool off..." Jack replied, "This version of him has quite a temper."

Rory walked over to his wife and patted her on the shoulder. Amy still stared ahead, almost frozen in place after the look The Doctor had given her.

"Rory... he's never looked at me like that before." She said quickly, "Why is he so angry?" she asked, "Our Doctor is never like that!"

"He is... he just knows how to hide it from us." River sighed.

"Don't take it personally." Jack said, "He's been through _a lot_ since he last saw you."

"And plus... he just found out he has a daughter, then immediately lost her. I imagine that puts a strain on the nerves." Rory added.

"I'm going to explore." Amy snapped, heading for the door.

"Uh, Amy do you think that's a good idea?" Rory asked, chasing after her.

River turned to Jack, "Is he like this a lot...?" she asked.

Jack shrugged, "He's gotten quite close to her... I imagine the idea of losing her puts him on edge."

"I'm going to talk to him." she replied.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"You know him?" She grinned, "Is it ever?" River left in search of The Doctor.

Jack laughed, agreeing with her deciding that she could handle herself. He looked around the console room, realising he was alone. The TARDIS made another sickly sounding noise.

"Come on, I didn't even say anything!"

Jenny sat down on the edge of the stairs, next to McKenzie.

"So, how did this all happen...?" she asked.

McKenzie grinned and raised her eyebrow at Jenny.

Jenny shared her grin, "I mean, how did you find out? How come she's all grown up?"

"I'm not sure... I mean, I must only be a few weeks along right now... I didn't even know." She idly placed her hand on her middle as she spoke, "We landed on this base... it was completely abandoned, like everything had just been sucked out of the windows. It all felt wrong from the moment we got there... come to think of it, everything still feels wrong."

"How do you mean?"

McKenzie stuck her hand out in front of her, making an L shape with her thumb, "Everything seems just a little bit to the left, like... something has changed." She squinted and closed one eye as she aligned her gaze.

"That's concerning."

"Yes, it is." McKenzie continued, "The Doctor... My Doctor, he wanted to leave... But I asked him to stay. He didn't want to run into himself."

"So he crossed his own timeline?"

"Yes, but... we didn't intend for this to happen, we had no idea what was in there. But at the same time, we're all still here. So something must happen in future that makes him forget."

"Then surely that means everything is going to be okay? We've seen you in the future."

Suddenly they heard crashing coming from upstairs.

"What was that?" McKenzie asked.

"She's awake." Jenny replied, jumping to her feet and running up the stairs.

Vastra was stood in the middle of the corridor holding a fighting stance, her eyes were locked on Pandora who was also ready for a fight. She looked nervously around at her surroundings, her face was scrunched up a little, like she was afraid and trying to hide it.

"I… I don't know where I am." She said, staring directly at Vastra.

"That's okay. You don't need to know." Vastra replied calmly.

The Doctor stood behind Vastra, nervously rubbing his hands.

"Pandora..." McKenzie said, "We're just trying to help. We need The Doctor."

"No!" She frowned, "We don't! I'm not letting him land and take you away again!"

"Strax has detected some kind of frequency coming from her..." Vastra whispered to McKenzie, "He thinks your Doctor won't be able to land."

"You're all crazy!" Pandora shouted, "You must be able to see how he's manipulated all of you?" She cried, begging them to listen to her.

McKenzie sighed, it was frustrating hearing all of the things she wanted to say twisted against her. She could feel how worried The Doctor was getting, both for his future and his present.

"Pandora, don't you remember what I showed you?" The Doctor asked, "Those memories, you sorted through which ones were real, you know the truth. You have to accept it."

Pandora narrowed her eyes and Vastra's tongue flitted menacingly between her lips.

Strax appeared behind her holding a scanner, "Not to alarm anyone, but the young boy is calling its mothership." He stated.

"Excuse me?" McKenzie asked.

"The mothership will be upon us soon. Mistress, shall I man the surface to ship canons?"

"We don't 'ave a surface to ship canon." Jenny added.

"Ah. Then may I make a suggestion?"

"Of course." Vastra nodded, not taking her eyes off Pandora.

"Acquire surface to ship canons in the next," he checked the scan, "Two minutes! And send me to man them. For glorious battle!"

McKenzie stepped closer to her future daughter, "What's he talking about?"

Pandora looked around nervously and bit her lip, "Nothing, I don't know. I'm not doing anything!"

"No he's right. She's been contacting someone since she woke up. I don't know how she's doing it." Vastra said.

"How can I be?" Pandora implored McKenzie, "I have nothing to contact with!"

"She was experimented on, she can temporal shift. That's Dalek technology... We have no idea what she's capable of." The Doctor said, he grabbed McKenzie's hand and pulled her back.

"Mothership upon us in thirty seconds!" Strax called out.

"Pandora, just calm down please, let us help you." McKenzie said, she could feel Pandora's fear and guilt... but, was she lying?

Pandora backed up a little and shouted up at the ceiling, "Father! She's here! I have her."

"Mothership upon us!" Strax shouted.

A man appeared in the middle of the corridor between Pandora and McKenzie, it was Wade.

He quickly pressed some sort of stun gun to McKenzie and activated a pulse sending everyone else flying into the walls.

McKenzie felt The Doctor's hand slip from hers as she tried to fight passing out. She hung limply in Wade's arms, unable to fight back.

"Father!" Pandora called out, she reached to him from her slumped position by the opposite wall. But Wade stared right through her before teleporting away.

"Can you hear that music?" Amy asked, turning to Rory.

Rory caught up to his wife, she had been charging around the endless winding corridors desperately trying to find something. But for now she had stopped, Rory leant on the wall to catch his breath while Amy craned her neck, listening to some music.

"Is that…?" he asked.

"Smooth jazz? Yep." She said quickly, her eyes darting around, "It sounds like a detective movie." She narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow at him, "Shall we investigate?" she asked.

Rory sighed, "I imagine even though we shouldn't, we're going to anyway?"

Amy grinned, she took his hand and rushed to the source of the music.

They came to a door with what looked like an old film grain across it.

Amy took a step toward the door, but Rory held her back.

"Wait, what if it's some kind of emancipation grid?" he asked.

"Rory, this isn't a video game."

She stepped through and Rory followed behind her. They were greeted by a fifties style diner, there were windows looking out on a small town.

"Is it raining?" Amy asked.

Rory squinted as he looked around the seemingly normal diner, "Yes, Amy, but you seem to have missed the fact that we're suddenly somehow in black and white?"

Amy's eyes widened when she realised, "How did I miss that?"

"Welcome - Amelia Pond - it has been over one thousand years since you last visited. Welcome back!" a cheerful voice said from behind the counter.

"What's that?" Rory turned startled by the voice.

"One thousand years?" Amy muttered.

The voice belonged to a holographic version of McKenzie. Rory nervously eyed the hologram as it eerily stared forward, he walked around it and suddenly it snapped to look directly at him.

"My apologies! I am the TARDIS Data Core. A virtual interface for inhabitants of this TARDIS to stick their noses into the Doctor's business."

"I'm sorry?" Rory asked.

"To access the history of this particular type 40 TARDIS." The data core seemed to clear its throat.

"Did the hologram just sass us?" Rory asked, turning to his wife who was still staring into space.

"One. Thousand. Years...?" she said again.

"Correct. Is there anything else you wish to enquire?"

Rory decided to try and change the subject, "Why does this place look like a diner? Also, how is it in black and white? How are we in black and white?"

"This is a virtual reality space, you can chose what you see. Currently you are seeing The Doctor's preferred desktop for this room, Noire – Diner, Jazz specific. Also in the Noire category is - Piano Bar."

The room flickered to a smoky Piano bar, there was a stage opposite them and a bar where the diner counter had been.

"Other music channels are available. And finally, airport runway."

The room flickered again and a loud sound shattered around them, a huge aeroplane had appeared next to them and its engines were running.

"Uh, change it back!" Rory shouted, covering his ears.

"I'm sorry I couldn't hear you. Could you repeat that?" the data core said.

"CHANGE BACK TO DINER." Rory shouted.

"As you wish."

The room flickered back to the diner with the calm jazz playing once again. Rory sighed.

"There are thousands of other desktops, would you like to see more of them?"

"No!" Amy shouted.

The hologram blinked and stared at Amy.

"Where am I?" she asked, "Why am I not traveling with the Doctor in the future? He said we'd travel forever."

"Amelia Pond. Unable to access data file."

"No, tell me. The Doctor said we would travel forever! Did he just drop me like the rest of them?"

"Amy..." Rory sighed, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"No! Answer me! Override whatever he's told you, I am Amelia Pond! Tell me what I want to know! Did The Doctor lie to me?"

The hologram blinked again, "Yes. The Doctor did not travel forever with Amelia Pond."

"I knew it, so did he just drop me for you?"

"No, I am only a VR system-"

"McKenzie!" Amy snapped.

Rory sighed, he couldn't help feeling upset about how hard Amy was fighting this.

"No. The Doctor did not chose anyone over Amelia Pond. McKenzie Murphy arrived just over one month ago. Amelia Pond died over one thousand years ago."

"Why? What happened to me?" Amy snapped.

"Amelia Pond chose over The Doctor. At the end, she had lived out her full life with the one she loved."

Amy paused.

"Amelia Williams lays forever resting with her husband Rory."

Amy sighed, she felt horrible for learning that information, but the look on Rory's face made her feel worse. He looked as if he were about to cry, but he was happy about it. Like he hadn't expected her to choose him.

"Of course I would..." Amy returned his smile and ran to give him a kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

River turned a corner into the library. She had gotten a little lost as she wasn't accustomed to this layout. However, she still knew that The Doctor would be hidden away brooding in the library's history section.

"You'll find her." She said as she made her way around the stacks to his hiding place.

"How can you possibly know that?" he asked, looking up at her as his fringe fell over his eyes, "You aren't a part of my future anymore."

"I might not be... but I do know you, and you never change. You will find her."

The Doctor sighed, "I know. But, when I do... what then? I know what my future holds, I've seen that base, the files they have on me, on her! It's going to go wrong again. What if something happens? I can't lose her, not now... not ever, I don't want to lose her or anyone else again, I... I can't... I can't take it anymore."

River sighed, she'd never seen him want to give up like this before.

"Something has gone very wrong. Time has been steadily rewriting itself since we arrived at that base, we probably both felt it, McKenzie too. None of us were supposed to see any of this, or it wasn't supposed to happen like this... and it's all centred on McKenzie."

River frowned, "The reason we were on that base is because we received a message from Pandora... your daughter... She seemed to be in trouble, and she asked us to leave her to die on that base. But we didn't because you all showed up. Perhaps we were the ones that weren't supposed to be there? Her message was confusing, it got cut off by something. It was meant to be for you, but she sent it to us."

The Doctor laughed weakly.

"What?" River asked.

"My daughter... only right she'd make a mistake like that."

He looked up at River and for a moment she caught a glimpse of the man she knew.

"I'm so sorry, River." He said.

"Why?"

"Everything. You weren't supposed to be, but... you got caught up in this anyway, you and Amy and Rory..."

"It's okay. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Knowing that after all this time, you're still here... after..." She paused and tried not to think about the possibilities of her future. She smiled at him, then noticed a bright flashing green light behind him. It was an old sonic screwdriver, the one her doctor used next to a pair of broken sunglasses.

The Doctor turned and grinned, he reached for it and handed the sonic to River, "Here, take it. Keep it safe for now, but you might need it someday... Professor."

"What, why?" River asked, looking at the sonic in her hands.

"Spoilers." He gave her a wistful look as if he were trying to remember something from a very long time ago. He put his arms around her and held her close, unexpectedly placing a kiss on her forehead.

River smiled as she broke from the embrace.

"Doc!" Jack rushed into the library, "You're gonna want to see this!"

"Who was that?" Jenny asked.

"I have no idea." Vastra replied, "But she seems to believe he is her father."

Vastra looked over to Pandora who was slumped in the corner.

"I thought you were her father?" Jenny asked, turning to The Doctor.

"I'll clear this up!" Strax announced, picking up his scanner and heading over to Pandora.

"Strax, careful." Vastra snapped.

Strax bent down and grabbed her arm, prodding her with a medical scanner.

"Ow!" she snatched her arm back.

"My sensor indicates that when compared this blood sample matches the sample taken from the current form of The Doctor last time he was here. He is in fact your father. Now stand boy! Prepare to face your judgement."

Pandora glared up at him, her face held all the rage of an angsty teenager. She said nothing.

"Strax." Vastra hissed, letting him know he was out of line.

"You." Pandora said, slowly standing and heading to The Doctor, "You helped me see before. Show me again! I want the truth."

"Right, yes of course." The Doctor rubbed his hands together, "I'll need your help if we're going to find your mother, and we're going to need everyone's help."

"I'll make some tea..." said Jenny.

The Doctor had rearranged a lot of the furniture in the lounge, much to Madame Vastra's dismay. He sat cross legged on the floor opposite Pandora and held her hands.

"Close your eyes for me, Pandora." The Doctor said.

Pandora took a deep breath and closed her eyes. But it didn't feel like last time, instead of feeling her consciousness gently drifting away, she felt something rushing towards her. She struggled, trying to avoid it but there was nothing she could do she was psychically linked to the oncoming message.

"Pandora?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor, I think something is wrong." Vastra said, moving closer to them.

"Ah–" Pandora squirmed in place and let go of The Doctor's hands, she was twitching her head as if running in a dream.

"What did you do?" Jenny asked, crouching next to her.

"Nothing," The Doctor opened his eyes, "Move her to the sofa, come on." He stood and helped carry her, she appeared to be trapped in some kind of hallucination.

"What can we do?" Jenny asked.

"There isn't anything we can do." Vastra replied, "She just needs to pull herself out of it."

Pandora opened her eyes, she wasn't in the lounge anymore, nor was she looking at the man in the bow-tie. She was completely alone in an empty white space.

She heard screaming as something was trying to force its way into her mind. She tried to fight it, but couldn't move.

Someone ripped through the white space and stood in front of her, Pandora realised she was looking at herself, almost exactly the same apart from the clothes and the glowing eyes.

"Hiya!" The clone or double or whatever she was, smiled and waved.

Pandora stared, this had to be some kind of trick, "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm you, you idiot." The second replied.

"I'm sorry?"

"Look, I don't have time for this." The double looked around nervously as if something had been chasing her, "I'm from your future, and I need to tell you everything that happens so that you can _stop it_ from happening again, okay?"

Pandora stared.

"I'm going to take your silence as a _sure I understand completely go ahead._ " She said in a mocking sort of voice.

Pandora had no idea how she had become like this in the future.

"You have to save mum. If she dies, then it's all over... okay? Do you understand?"

"But father..." she recoiled, " _That man_... took her."

"But, _you_ can find her. You and dad, _real_ dad. The Doctor."

"How can I? After what I did?"

"That doesn't matter anymore. Trust me. Not with what's coming." She sighed, "Look, I would be nicer. I do know exactly how you feel, but we don't have time for this! We're about to be born, and she's going to die shortly after trying to save us. I would explain but-"

"She only just found out about me...?"

"Wait, are you serious? Of for-!" the double slapped her hand on her forehead, "Are you kidding me, again?! Look, I've already sent one wrong message... it didn't seem to work. It's too late for me, but _you_ can still save her, save _everyone_."

"But-!"

"No more time okay! You'll be fine, just save her!"

The double grabbed her by the shoulders and head-butted her as hard as she could.

The Doctor watched as Pandora squirmed and fought against something only she could see.

"What's happening?" Jenny asked, trying to hold her steady.

"I don't know, something in her mind has blocked me out!" The Doctor snapped.

Pandora suddenly screamed, her eyes rolled around in her head as if she was having an intense and painful nightmare. She sat up abruptly, her eyes were glowing golden, but as she looked around at everyone the glow faded to her usual dark brown.

"Are you okay?" The Doctor asked.

"What did you see...?" Vastra asked, a concerned look on her face.

"Horrible things." She replied. The quick and quiet tone of her voice sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"Doctor," she said, "We need to rescue mum."

The Eleventh Doctor looked around the room, "Uh, no Doctors here sorry–" he said nervously.

"It's fine, I know it's you now... I, I sent the message that brought you here... didn't I?"

"How did you know that?" he asked.

"Can't say!" she said, there was a strange sense of urgency in her voice. She grabbed his hand and stood, "We need to send a message."

"What is it Captain?" The Doctor asked.

"I honestly don't know how... But, the phone is ringing. The fake one, in the door." Jack replied.

River shared a confused look with The Doctor as they quickly left the Library.

Amy and Rory poked their heads out of the Data Core room as the rest of the crew ran past.

"Something important is happening!" Amy said.

"Wait, what were we just doing? I don't remember…" Rory paused.

"Come on!" She pulled Rory along behind her.

"Are you sure this is where that room was when we went inside it?" he asked, chasing after her.

They arrived at the console room. The Eleventh Doctor was on the screen trying to contact them.

"Hello, hello?" he called out, "Sorry, this isn't as accurate as you'd think. I believe we caught the phone the first time! This is Eleven calling... sorry what was it you called yourself? Fourteen?"

The triumphant cry of _No Sir! All Thirteen!_ Played back in his head. The Doctor rolled his eyes and smiled, he'd find out eventually.

"Doctor!" Amy called back, running to the screen.

"Amy!" he cheered.

"Where are you, what's going on?" Amy asked.

"I'll tell you when you get here! Everyone down right now if you don't mind! Quickly now." He said cheerfully.

The Doctor and River set to the console.

"How are you contacting us, where are you?" Amy asked, clinging to the screen.

"This girl, honestly. So many tricks up her sleeves. Doctor! Find out what they did to your daughter, she can do that... creepy phone thing, remember–"

"Back in 1941, with the–" he tried to mime having a gasmask on his face.

"Are you my mummy?" they both said, laughing to themselves.

River sighed in frustration, "Will you just get on with it?"

"Om-com." Jack said, "She can contact anyone, even a phone that's not a phone... But getting someone else through? That's advanced."

The TARDIS landed and Amy ran to the doors, opening them and rushing out to her Doctor.

"Hey!" he called out giving her a big hug.

"What happened?" she asked.

"No time to explain!" he shouted, "Captain, can your space hopper take me back to my TARDIS?"

Jack rolled his eyes, he linked his arm with The Doctor and teleported out.

"Watch him come back a few months later." Amy sighed.

"Where are we anyway?" Rory asked.

"You're in my house, so wipe your feet on your way out of the TARDIS. I don't know what you'll be dragging in." Vastra hissed.

Rory stared wide eyed at the Silurian woman, he wasn't sure if he should be scared or fine with it, everyone else seemed to be. One thing he was sure of was that he needed to wipe his feet.


	4. Chapter 4

"Finally, everyone has arrived and you can all make yourselves comfortable while you prepare to meet your doom!" Strax announced.

"What did he just say?" Rory asked.

"Where's the girl?" River asked, looking concerned.

"She is fine. Just resting. She appears to have had some kind of vision, but she refuses to tell us the exact details. Only that we need to rescue Miss Murphy immediately on two separate occasions in time." Vastra explained.

Pandora rushed into the atrium of the large Victorian house, her eyes grew wide at the sight of the TARDIS as if the she hadn't seen it in so long.

She frowned and bit her lip. "D...dad...?" She asked a little shakily.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS. He could feel everyone's eyes on him judging whether or not Pandora was finally safe.

He tried to think of something to say but before he could even open his mouth Pandora rushed forward and hugged him so hard she almost knocked him over.

"Oof..." he awkwardly put his hands on her shoulders, but it only made her squeeze tighter.

"That's a change..." Amy muttered to Rory who looked on in shock.

"So is she trying to kill him...?" He whispered back.

Pandora finally let go and looked up at him. There were tears in her eyes.

He wasn't sure how he knew, but he did. Whatever she'd seen was terrible, more than terrible. Her eyes seemed older than they did before, she'd seen something truly awful.

"We have to save mum..." she said, "You and me..."

"Of course... where did they take her?"

"No, I mean in the future... we have to go... as soon as you get back."

The familiar sound of the TARDIS landing filled the room and The Eleventh Doctor opened the doors. He swung his arms open as if to state his arrival, but before he could Pandora rushed through and started frantically setting the console.

"Okay, never mind." He shrugged.

"You'll find her at those coordinates." She said rushing out dragging Jack behind her.

"Wait, what are we doing?" River asked, sharing a concerned look with Amy.

"We're rescuing McKenzie. While Pandora... Also rescues McKenzie... But in the future..." The Doctor announced, as if the plan was completely fool-proof and everyone understood immediately what they had to do.

Pandora grabbed the other Doctor and dragged him to his TARDIS.

"No time to explain, we have to go." She said.

"Okay, but–" He begged.

"Look we have to get to her now... But you have to promise when you get back that you won't tell her anything. Okay? You have to trust me."

The Doctor shared a concerned look with Jack, he shrugged in return.

He didn't know what to say, she could be telling the truth, or luring him into a trap. He had no real way of telling, but something in her eyes made him believe her.

"Okay. I trust you." He said.

Her face almost twitched into a smile, before she set to the console. He closed the doors behind him.

"Right all we need to do is be here at the right time..." she mumbled to herself.

Eleven, his crew and Jack watched as the TARDIS disappeared before their eyes.

"Come on gang, we have a damsel to rescue!" The Doctor announced.

"I wonder if we'll ever find out what happened to them...?" Rory asked looking over to the spot where the older TARDIS had vanished from.

"Right then! Jack will you be accompanying us?" The Doctor asked.

"If it's alright with you I need to speak with the Captain…" Vastra replied.

Jack shrugged at The Doctor, "You heard the lady."

The Doctor, frowned. "Well, come along the rest of you!" he announced, "Time to leave." He quickly grabbed his companions and pulled them into the TARDIS, "Rescue mission! Come on, let's see a little more hustle!"

"But Doctor, we have no idea what we're doing!" Amy shouted.

"Just remember glasses man is bad! We can't let him see McKenzie escaping."

"Got it, but you still haven't explained–!"

"Right." The Doctor flew the TARDIS with River's assistance, "What I need you to do, what we need to do is get onto that base, 350 years or so before we landed before. Because the McKenzie we met is on that base right now captured by that man with the glasses."

"Okay..." Rory frowned, "But isn't that crossing your own time line? If you're there in the future?"

"Well, no, not really as it's all happening right now. Their fight, our rescue, whatever got them there in the first place... All happening now, just at different times!"

"Timey whimey–" Amy cringed as she remembered how McKenzie had laughed at her for saying that, but couldn't help returning The Doctor's infectious smile.

"But in all seriousness, this is extremely dangerous... we don't want them getting their hands on my TARDIS–"

"Or any other versions of you, Doctor..." River frowned.

"Yes, dear."

"You have to stay here. We don't want them to find out about another regeneration of you. Who knows how that could upset your future."

"Ah, you're right." He threw his hands up in the air as they landed inside the base, "Stay safe you three... I can't believe I'm letting you go off by yourselves..."

"It's important. We can handle ourselves."

"Can we?" Rory asked.

River sighed and grinned, "Let's go."

The crew made their way through the familiar halls, keeping on their toes for any signs of danger and looking out for clues to McKenzie's whereabouts.

Signs started showing up directing them to a medbay. They must have been in a different section than before.

"She could be in there?" Rory asked.

"Could be, but I'm more interested in seeing the old lab in action..." River replied.

"But what about McKenzie?" Amy asked.

"Oh I'm pretty sure The Doctor left to rescue her about thirty seconds after we left? So I'm sure she'll be fine."

River moved quickly through the white panelled corridors wishing she had swiped The Doctor's psychic paper. But then she remembered she had his old sonic if she needed it. She smiled to herself.

The lab wasn't far from here as she turned the last few corners. The doors she had busted open were just ahead, she held the sonic screwdriver out and pressed the button, opening the doors.

"Have a pleasant visit, Dr Song." She heard a woman's voice say.

River turned to the small check point and just caught a glimpse of a redheaded woman with glowing golden eyes disappearing into thin air.

River frowned, but realised the security had cleared herself, Amy and Rory as visiting staff from another base.

She grinned and headed through to the lab.

Amy and Rory carefully wandered through the base. Having the knowledge that The Doctor had already gone after McKenzie, they were unsure of what exactly they were supposed to doing.

A small man in a blue uniform quickly ran up to them from behind a corner. He seemed out of breath.

Amy and Rory froze. But they recognised him as the person recording video diaries.

"Ma'am, Sir... I cannot apologise enough, we were told about your visit but the time must have been wrong on our information." He wheezed a little.

"Of course. That's fine." Amy snapped, "Just see that it doesn't happen again."

Rory glared at her and she shrugged back.

"If you would like to follow me to head office we can properly start the tour. I assume Dr Song is already at the lab?" He asked as they began to walk further along the corridor.

"Yes, if that's where she usually is." Rory replied.

Amy nudged him in the side and gave him a scolding look.

They came to a lift on the side of the base. It was right on the edge and view was incredibly foreboding. The same large planet below was only just the beginnings of a storm, a few swirls here and there. But it was possible they didn't even expect a storm or more likely that no one on the base would see it in their life-time.

Amy and Rory followed the frightened looking employee as he led them through a new part of the base. It was much more decorated with silver furnishings and even potted plants. Whoever was in charge really cared about showing that they were in charge. It felt homely in a very strange way. The kind of _someone is definitely watching you_ kind of way.

"Right this way. He's been expecting you." He said.

"Ah, right yes. Of course." Amy replied.

The door opened to a large office, computer screens lined one side of the wall with a small console in the middle, the screens showed all the different rooms and labs of the base. On the opposite side was a large window looking out at another astonishing view of the gas giant that was Orion.

"You may go, Preston." A voice said.

Amy and Rory realised there was someone sat at the large desk opposite them, He was looking out at the planet below.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Would you like me to bring Dr Song for you, sir?"

"Yes, Preston."

"Of course, sir. Sorry again… sir."

Preston backed out of the room and the door closed behind him. The man in the chair turned to face them and he stood up. He wasn't tall, not as they would have expected. He gave off the impression of someone who should be taller. He was wearing thick rimmed glasses.

Amy could tell Rory was trying to tell her to be careful. She quickly shot him a glare telling him she understood. The exact thing they had been told to avoid at all costs and they were currently stood, or rather trapped in his office with him.

"First things first I would like to apologise for my assistant's incompetence." He said.

"That's fine… I know how assistants can be." Amy mumbled.

"No matter, I'm sure everything is in top shape regardless?" Rory chimed in.

"I'm sorry?" Wade seemed a little shocked.

"Well, why should your facility only be in peak condition when you're expecting visitors?"

Amy offered him a look of approval as Wade was struggling to keep his authority.

"Yes, of course. I apologise. We keep everything at an exceptional level of upkeep. I'm sure you'll be impressed." He shuffled uncomfortably.

"Glad to hear it." Rory nodded.

Wade headed over to the door to open it, but before he had a chance, someone on the other side had already done it. It was Preston again, this time he was out of breath.

"Preston, what is it now? Where's Doctor Song?"

Preston's eyes grew wide, "Sir, we have a situation… in the lab…"

Wade's face suddenly changed, "Has _it_ happened again?" there was a new urgency to his voice.

"Yes. We need your attention right away."

"Yes of course," He turned to Amy and Rory, "I must apologise but I need to see to this. Please stay in my office… and help yourself to the minibar."

Wade and Preston ran off, leaving them inside his office.

"Well, that's not going to look good on their report." Rory sighed, grinning at Amy.

"Where on Earth did that come from?" Amy grinned, jumping up onto the edge of the desk, "Mr Authority…" she winked.

Rory shrugged, "We had this visiting Doctor, back at the hospital… always very strict."

"Well, well, well… If this were my office…" she grinned, miming pushing everything off of the desk.

Rory couldn't help but blush. "Amy, shouldn't we be snooping or something? We must be able to find something useful on these cameras… they must show the whole base!"

"Probably," she pouted, "We'll probably be able to find McKenzie."

Rory looked over the many screens, using the console to flick between them to get a better look. There weren't as many people working here as they would have thought, but they seemed to just be working on simple projects, as The Doctor had said when they arrived here.

"Do you think any of these people have any idea what their boss is getting up to?" Amy asked, looking through things on Wade's desk.

"I doubt it…" Rory said, "Hey, look! There she is!"

"Guess they are keeping her in some kind of hospital room."

"Looks like, who knows what they've been doing to her…" he shuddered.

An alarm sounded around the base making them jump, McKenzie looked up from her bed and Amy noticed River on the cameras.

"I didn't do anything!" Rory backed away from the console.

"I don't think it was you…" Amy pointed to the perfectly framed image of River pointing a gun at someone.


	5. Chapter 5

River headed into the lab, it looked very different to when she was last here as it was very busy. People were rushing around handing over information and various important looking cases containing who knows what.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror knowing somebody was watching her behind it.

This time however there was no door marked negative one. As if they hadn't even planned it yet. There were however a few unmarked doors along one wall of the lab, where the door would soon be placed.

River headed over. Each, with a small window River carefully inspected each door. They were small bedrooms of sorts with just the basics placed inside, conveniently bolted down. They were all empty except for the one on the end which contained a woman in blue overalls.

With The Doctor's old screwdriver she quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The woman was just staring at the wall, with her back to River. She was being held here, for some reason… Contained for experiments or something, River thought. The room wasn't too nice either, sort of like a cheap hotel room or something the TARDIS would make up for you if she didn't like you very much.

"Hello?" River asked.

The woman didn't respond.

"Are you okay?"

Again, she was met with silence.

"Why are you in here?"

"Where… is here?" the woman asked.

"A research base. I think they've been using you for experiments… But I can get you out."

" _Ex_ …per-i-ments…?" she asked, twitching as she spoke.

River stayed silent, there was something off about the woman.

"I used to work experiments." She said quickly, "Then…" she paused, "I was one."

"Was?" River asked.

"Yes… that's right. Before I died." She added.

"You… died?" River froze, her hand over her pistol.

"I forgot… why would I forget that…?" she slowly began to turn around, "They injected something. I don't think it worked, I died in my sleep… but then I woke up?"

When she finally faced River, the large glowing eyestalk protruding from her forehead became very clear. The woman had become a Dalek puppet.

River gasped and covered her mouth, she backed away.

"No, don't go. You said you would get me out!" she started to advance on River.

"Oh my god!" a scientist shouted, seeing what was going on. She ran for the emergency alarm and activated it. Every scientist began quickly exiting the room.

River tried to slam the door shut, but the woman was too strong. She stuck her arm in the way and pushed open the door.

"Shoot it then!" another scientist shouted as he frantically ran for the exit, "If he sees it we're all dead!"

River fired a laser blast and the woman stumbled back. She was incapacitated enough for River to push her back into her cell. She screamed and banged on the door, her eyes pleading with River, who could only watch as she calmed down and returned to staring at the wall.

Silence descended over the lab.

"What the hell are you people doing here?" River shouted, turning back to the frightened group of scientists.

"We could ask you the same thing!" one shouted back.

"What were you doing letting her out? We're under strict orders to leave her in there unless ordered by higher ups to let her out for testing!"

"What could you possibly be testing? That woman is dead. Her body was taken over by Dalek nanos! Do you even know what you're doing? You could all be at risk!" River glared at each of them who in return were covering their mouths and exchanging panicked looks.

"Come on now. Give us some credit Dr Song." A voice said as its owner entered the lab.

A short man with glasses sauntered a little too confidently up to her. He had two armed guards following behind him who seemed to take an instant disliking to her.

River holstered her weapon.

"Now I'm terribly sorry you had to see that. But she will be taken care of." He handed a small card to one of the scientists who immediately left the room, "But no one here is at risk. We know what we're dealing with. The whole room is fitted with extreme counter measures. If anything became airborne… it would be dealt with efficiently."

Something about the way he said that made her very uneasy.

"We acquired the technology a while back, it isn't safe to test on Monolith, so we took it here, under controlled conditions of course. We wanted to see if we could harness some of the benefits without any of the… consequences."

"You killed her… that woman is dead!"

"She was already dying. She gave her last moments to science. Can't fault her for that can you?" he smiled. It was unsettling. "Regardless I am terribly sorry you had to see that." The base suddenly shook, there was a release of pressure and everything stood still again.

"What was that?" River asked, "What happened?"

River looked back at the room, the woman was gone. Then through the large window looking out at Orion, the woman floated past, struggling in the emptiness until ultimately submitting and falling to the planet below.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't use a planet as your own personal dump!" River argued.

"We own the planet, it is ours to do with as we please." Wade shrugged, "Now, if you don't mind. Your colleagues are waiting in my office… And not that I mind your taking the inspection into your own hands I would appreciate it if you could… join us."

River eyed the guards, they looked a little too trigger happy for her liking. So she decided it would be best to do as he said. At least she'd be back with Amy and Rory.

"Very good." Wade grinned.

McKenzie sighed. It had been only a few hours since she had last seen her Doctor, or either Doctor for that matter. It was still painful, knowing she was trapped here, helpless and alone.

She hated feeling this way, but at the moment there was nothing she could do to help The Doctor or Pandora.

She was at Wade's mercy now.

That of course was the worst part. There was something different about him, it was unsettling. He wasn't just some harmless weirdo, the bugged photo proved that. But there was something else. He was almost ruthless with his pursuit… what happened?

She felt a truly horrible feeling wash over her. She shivered. It was Wade, she was sure of it. She could tell from at least two rooms away whenever he was on his way to her. His corruption was much too strong. It felt dirty… not even a hint of guilt or remorse… just desperation and hate.

"My sweet… are you ready for me?" He asked, the long mirrored wall fading to reveal a viewing room attached to her cell.

Wade was just watching her.

"I asked you nicely not to call me that… if I have to do it again I might not be so nice." McKenzie stated.

"I just want you to be happy… but what am I supposed to call you, my love?"

"Definitely _not_ that." She folded her arms.

"But I–"

"You can call me your worst nightmare if you _ever_ say those words to me again." She shouted, feeling a fire of rage within her.

"Fine… I'm sure you will come around soon. Once I remove his poison from you."

McKenzie's hand went instinctively to cover her stomach, "What did you do?!" thinking back to how he'd sedated her once she'd arrived.

"Nothing. Don't worry. We only took a few tests to uncover the extent of the… damage he has done to your body."

McKenzie shuddered at those words, his emotions were like an assault on her mind. It was so hard to keep his feelings separate from hers.

"I would never want to hurt you…" Wade sighed.

"Well, I know a broken vase that would beg to differ." She spat.

"I – Uh, I!" he angrily stuttered and stomped around the room, "Don't remind me of that! I told you I was sorry! You shouldn't have provoked me!"

McKenzie sighed and gritted her teeth.

"We'll keep you safe, until you are ready. Then I will see to it that _he_ will never hurt you again."

"Hurt me? He saved me! From you, from them… and he will do again! No matter what you do you'll never have me, or Pandora."

Wade froze, "You've already chosen a name…?"

McKenzie paused, unsure if she wanted to reveal how much of the future she was aware of, "Yeah."

"It's lovely. What about if it's a boy?"

"It's not… I can tell." She lied.

"Is that… an alien thing…?" he asked, slowly through gritted teeth.

"Yes, Wade! Yes it is. Because I am an alien. To you at least and I always have been."

Wade looked flustered as he threw his arms up in the air, "Can't you see what he's done to you?" he cried, "This temper, the McKenzie I knew would never act like this, you were always so sweet!"

McKenzie paused. She knew she should have a comeback, but as much as she hated to admit it, Wade might actually be right. She did have more of a temper and she had changed a lot since meeting The Doctor… but that can't have anything to do with the regeneration… Surely it had everything to do with being trapped in a room for 10 years.

"Look at what I've done, I'm second in command now! I run this whole place! I did it all for you."

She thought back to the visions she had seen with Pandora. George and Vera, the two criminals she had been trapped with must have taken over shortly after the events on the Flora cruise ship. She remembered something else… the last thing she had seen, Vera wasn't present.

"I have a question. Those two criminals, the ones they put in my head… They run Planet Link now, don't they?"

Wade shuffled nervously, "How did you know that?"

"How else would you end up in a position of command?" She glared at him, "What happened to Vera…? The woman, where did she go?"

"You should know!" he snapped, "You were there! You saw what he did to her!"

Someone ran into the room, "Sir, the visiting scientists are here."

"Preston for–" he paused, looking over to McKenzie, "I am sorry, my love. I must leave you."

McKenzie cringed at being called that again, but she was glad when he left and the mirror returned to her reflection.

"Ugh!" She cried out in anger as she threw herself back onto the bed.

She stared up at the plain white tiles of the ceiling being trapped again was not one of her top priorities. She'd had enough of being the damsel in distress and she tried very hard to prove that, to prove she was more than that. But the universe seemed to just be against her.

"They're gone. Don't worry." A voice said from behind the mirror.


	6. Chapter 6

McKenzie jumped up from the bed and watched as the mirror faded out, revealing The Doctor in all his tweed glory.

"Doctor!" she smiled, "Where's…" she paused, not wanting to seem ungrateful, but she wanted to know where her Doctor was.

"He's also saving you." The Doctor said, "I'm sure you're both in good hands."

"Right…"

"But don't worry! I'm here for you and I'm going to get you out of there!" He said cheerfully, rubbing his hands together, "My people are creating an excellent distraction."

"That's great!"

"Now… just as soon as I've worked out how exactly."

McKenzie sighed and grinned, "There has to be something…? Like a door release? How did you get in there?"

"Well, the door was open." He shrugged.

"Right then," McKenzie folded her arms, "We can't just break the glass. One, it's going to be way too strong for that. And two, someone would definitely notice."

"Okay, the key here is _not_ to panic." The Doctor started to pace.

"I'm not panicking."

"Good, focus on that."

McKenzie smirked and rolled her eyes.

"The door keeping you in has a pretty complex system attached to him. You're under extremely high priority, apparently." The Doctor said, "Not a lot of people are authorised to be in here and even less in there with you."

"Interesting… Can't you just sonic it?"

"Well, they would notice that… pretty much immediately. If they're in the office. And I can't do that, because I'd be putting you and everyone else in danger… and I won't do that."

"And if there isn't anyone in the office?"

"We should be okay… until someone goes in there and sees. However… I'm fairly certain that River would have gone straight to the labs when we arrived. Rory and Amy will have been taken to the office to see the boss."

"Why's that?"

"Something I noticed last time we were here. The three of them are registered as visitors. Able to move around the facility freely."

"But not you?"

"No… not me."

"Perhaps whoever set that up figured you wouldn't need the help… or shouldn't be on the system."

"My thoughts exactly." The Doctor nodded.

"So, Amy and Rory are most likely in the office–"

A loud alarm sounded around them almost shaking the room.

"Alone…?" McKenzie asked.

"As it would seem."

"But how can we contact them to make sure?"

"You could just try waving to them?" he indicated the camera in the corner.

McKenzie raised an eyebrow and looked up at the camera. She waved.

Nothing happened, she looked back at The Doctor who shrugged.

The camera moved from side to side, slowly scanning the whole room.

"Proof enough for me!" The Doctor said cheerfully.

"You think?"

"Well, I think that's about as much as we're going to get." He left the viewing room.

McKenzie waited patiently in silence for The Doctor to let her out. The air felt tense, it clung to her skin as if the whole room were about to snap in the next five seconds.

The door burst open, making her jump. The Doctor smiled in the doorway as he adjusted his bowtie.

McKenzie rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you." She said.

"My pleasure." He replied, "Now, let's get you out of here."

"One question… do you actually have a plan or are you making this up as you go along?"

The Doctor tapped his nose before grabbing her hand and pulling her back to the TARDIS.

"Look, The Doctor's found her!" Amy said, watching the camera's as McKenzie spoke to the Doctor.

McKenzie stood in the middle of the room and apprehensively waved to the camera.

"They must know we're up here." Rory said.

"Well, how can we show them we are?"

"We must be able to do something… like, moving the camera?"

"Try the console." Rory said,

Amy placed her hand on the small joystick device as she selected the specific camera view. She moved it around, side to side, viewing the room corner to corner.

"I guess that did it?" she said, "What else could I do?"

They watched as McKenzie hugged The Doctor, he pulled her away and down a separate corridor.

"Alright, now we just have to find River and get out of here." Rory said.

The door opened making them jump. They backed against the cameras.

"Everything okay in here?" Wade asked, he made his way over to his desk with River and two armed guards following him.

"Yep, yes. Everything's great." Rory stuttered.

Amy nudged Rory in the side.

"Good. Now that I've got you all together we can start the tour properly." Wade said, smiling at each of them.

River shared a look of concern with Amy and Rory, she noticed the camera pointed to what looked like an empty cell.

"This way please." He said, looking towards the doorway. There was something extremely unsettling about his face, his grin, like he was planning something.

"Are you friends going to be joining us?" River asked, eyeing up the guards.

"Just for security… of course. We have a lot of dangerous people on this base."

"Yes… of course."

"Why don't you go on ahead?"

River nodded to Amy and Rory as she slowly left the office, Amy and Rory followed after her.

They were marched along a corridor, it was unsettlingly quiet.

"Why does it feel like we're being led to prison or something?" Amy whispered to River.

"Just do as they say, we're getting closer to the TARDIS, The Doctor will save us."

"If he's not too busy–" Amy rolled her eyes.

They heard footsteps running towards them from an adjacent corridor and suddenly The Doctor and McKenzie appeared right in front of them.

"I told you it would be this way–" He froze realising who he was standing in front of, "Oh."

"McKenzie?!" Wade gasped, "Who the hell is this?"

"Definitely not The Doctor, that's for sure." The Doctor said.

"Well don't just stand there! Capture them!" Wade yelled.

The guards pointed their weapons at them, they stood still with their hands up.

Amy, Rory and River were pushed aside as the guards advanced. River thought quickly and took out The Doctor's screwdriver. She aimed it at the lights, overloading them and causing them to explode. The guards covered their eyes as sparks and shattered glass fell around them.

"Come on!" she yelled.

"You're with them too? No, no, no! Have you all been brainwashed!" Wade screeched as the TARDIS crew ran for their escape, "Give me that!" Wade grabbed the gun from one of his guards and chased after them.

"Nice to see you again!" McKenzie shouted to River.

"Feels good to get out of prison doesn't it?" She grinned as she threw a glace over her shoulder. Wade was catching up, lumbering with a huge gun he could barely lift, but his rage had taken over him.

They came to an airlock door, The Doctor unlocked it and hurried everyone inside.

"I moved the TARDIS for an easy escape, everyone inside please! Quickly now!" The Doctor clicked his fingers and the doors opened. He held his sonic to the airlock door and locked it shut, Wade only just making it too late.

He angrily banged his fists on the small window, everyone could hear him screaming.

McKenzie frowned as she watched him meltdown.

"So, you must be working for The Doctor… is that right?" A voice asked.

A screen showed up with a dark haired man. McKenzie realised it was George, she shared a concerned look with The Doctor.

"Depends who's asking." She said.

"Ah, McKenzie darling. Good to see you again."

"I can assure you, the feeling isn't mutual."

"How long has it been? For you I mean... I've had to take the slow way round I'm afraid."

"Few months... Trust me. Not long enough."

"Well, now. Isn't that interesting. I owe a lot to your funny little brain you know–"

"Please don't pay me back." She shook her head.

"I had no intention, what your so called Time Lord did to me is more than payback enough." He gritted his teeth in rage, "Believe you me, you will both suffer for what you have done."

"I don't know what you're talking about! We haven't done anything." McKenzie protested.

"Silence!" George snapped, "What you have done, has already happened. There is no escape."

"McKenzie, we need to go." The Doctor took her hand.

She sighed, "We can't, back on the base, they've got the technology to somehow keep the TARDIS grounded, there's no way we're getting out."

George laughed triumphantly, "Do you think I was just going to let you leave?"

An electrical charge let loose around the room, the screen flickered and everything inside shut down. The door opened, Wade glared inside and held his weapon at the TARDIS.

"Although I suppose that might do it?" McKenzie grinned with The Doctor and he pulled her inside to the console.

River pulled the large lever and the TARDIS flew back to London.

McKenzie sighed and stared at the door. She knew she was safe for now, but how long would it be before they tried again? She knew about her future, it would be unsafe to go on knowing what was in store for them. She turned and saw Amy staring into space by the edge of the console room.

"Are you alright?" McKenzie asked her.

Amy frowned, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"You seem a little shaken up, like you think you've forgotten something?"

Amy looked up at her, "It's still weird that you can do that."

"Sorry… I don't mean to pry."

"No… it's just, being in here you forget how long it's been, time passes differently. But looking at you, that's when I really see the future. I'm going to get dropped for someone else."

"That's not going to happen. I can promise you that. He might move on, but not because he wants to, because he has to."

"But not with you." Amy sighed.

"Well, I guess not. But what am I compared to Amy Pond?"

"He talks about me…?" Amy's eyes lit up a little.

"He didn't have to, I felt it when he saw you again. Even after all this time."

"How much time has it been…?"

"How old is The Doctor?" McKenzie asked.

"910. I think." She replied.

"2200." McKenzie replied

"You're joking."

"Well, 2234 if we're being precise."

"And how old are you?"

"31. But, I guess in human years that would be more like…" She scrunched up her face, "20? 21?"

"That's one hell of an age gap." Amy smirked.

McKenzie laughed along with her, "Yeah I suppose you could say that."

"And who says nothing lasts forever?"

"Forever is a relative term…"

"Right then!" The Doctor said, "Last stop Miss Murphy."

"I'll uh, give you a minute." Amy said, turning away and sharing a smile with Rory.

McKenzie looked over the console screen, she recognised the sound of her TARDIS landing to meet her. Jack appeared inside just by the doors.

"McKenzie!" he said, walking forward and giving her a hug, "Glad to see everything worked out."

"Yeah… for now at least." She replied.

Jack looked between McKenzie and The Doctor, "I've just got to hand these out, present from Torchwood." He held out a small box, "Hopefully avoid any paradoxes. B67… just to be safe."

"Good man!" The Doctor smiled. He headed to the door and opened it up, "Better get you back, McKenzie." He sighed.

Jack wiggled his eyebrows and grinned at McKenzie, she rolled her eyes in response as she followed The Doctor out onto the drenched cobblestone street.


	7. Chapter 7

Meanwhile, The Doctor stared into his future. He watched as his future self, couldn't be more than six months or so, but he looked so old… as if they'd been through so much. He held his McKenzie tightly in his arms as if he would never let go. The Doctor watched as tears dripped down his own cheeks and dropped onto the dewy purple grass below, right in front of him.

"Come on." Pandora tugged at his arm, "Leave them… They'll be okay…" she paused, "No actually they won't just yet, but they will be. I'll see to it. Or he will." Her eyes moved from the future Doctor to the present one, she smiled wide. "He always does."

The Doctor headed back into the TARDIS and closed the doors behind them.

"This is it, isn't it… this is what changed." He said, his eyes darkened.

"I can't say."

"Why can't you, what happened?" he glared at his future daughter from across the console.

"I can't say." She said again, more sternly this time.

"Why not?!" he charged over to her and placed his hand on the sides of her head.

"No! You can't!" She tried to back away, but he held onto her.

"You're blocking me out…"

"Of course I am, I won't let you see."

"Why not… What could be so bad?" He narrowed his eyes, her eyes were closed and a single tear fell down her cheek.

Then he saw it, inside her head, the grey clouds… all of her corrupted memories. Then nothing… just a white space of nothing… but something forced its way in.

"A memory transfer." He said, taking his hands away.

Pandora gasped and started to cry.

The Doctor sighed and leant back on the console, he rubbed his chin and gazed into space.

"I'm sorry… I, I didn't mean to–"

"It's okay." Pandora wiped her eyes.

"She transferred her memories to you… but why?"

Pandora offered him a weak laugh, sniffling as she rolled her eyes, "So I could help save the universe."

"She made some mistakes… but look at you, given another chance."

"I just hope it was worth it…"

They watched the screen as the future TARDIS disappeared.

"There they go… at least I've got something to look forward too." He said, setting the TARDIS back to London.

Pandora held herself close and shuffled in place, leaning against the rails surrounding the console room.

The Doctor sighed, "Tell me what happened and I can help."

"You can't… I can't tell you…" she sighed, "It's gone, or it's not going to have been at all. That's all you need to know."

He looked into her eyes, his own dark brown eyes.

"Alright. You win." He smiled, "I'm sure you managed to stop it. Whatever it was you did."

She smiled back at him.

Jack appeared inside the console room, "Right then, I've got something for you." He said, looking over to Pandora. He handed her a large brown envelope, "And a little something to help you forget." He handed The Doctor a packet with two retcon pills.

She took the envelope and looked through its contents, official documents stating a whole life was waiting for her on earth.

"But I thought…" She tried to ask, but then saw the solemn looks on both their faces, "Back there, Madame Vastra… what did she say?"

"She told me that I have to take you into quarantine." Jack stated.

"What do you mean?"

"The amount of experiments performed on you… we don't know what could happen if you came with us… and besides. Sooner or later having you around is going to be a paradox." The Doctor sighed, "I'm sorry, but you can't stay."

"Which is why, Pandora Phoenix, you're coming back to Earth with me at least until the quarantine is over. Torchwood could use someone like you." He winked at her.

Pandora smiled at him.

"Well, there's definitely going to be none of that, thank you." The Doctor said, glaring at Jack.

"Doc… so little faith." He winked at him before linking arms with Pandora and teleporting out of the console room, leaving The Doctor all alone.

McKenzie looked up at the young Doctor and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you… for saving me." She said.

"Oh, it was nothing really." He mumbled.

McKenzie felt him hold on a little tighter before letting go. She looked into his eyes, his big sorrowful eyes, she couldn't help smiling a little.

"It's funny..." The Doctor said.

"What is?" asked McKenzie.

"Have you ever thought about how hard it is to have someone look at you... and not see you?"

"What do you mean?" she tilted her head to the side.

"The way you look at me... you see him." He smiled weakly.

"But I don't... I see you... I see The Doctor." She looked up at him, he looked down at the floor and she placed her hand on his cheek, "I look into your eyes and I see the same sadness, the same regret... The same passion and the same hope. The hope that you'll find what you're looking for, that you'll find home."

"But I found you, didn't I?" he smiled, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Yeah... you did." She teared up a little.

"I don't want to forget you." He said sternly, trying to hold back the tear in his eye.

"I _promise_ I won't forget you." She smiled.

"Goodbye." He said.

"But it's not goodbye though... you'll see me again, I promise." She winked.

He almost laughed as he stepped back into his TARDIS.

"See ya soon, Doctor." She waved as his TARDIS dematerialised.

She turned around to see her own TARDIS, she opened the door and looked up to see her Doctor leant against the console. She ran in and embraced him. He held her close and swung her into the air.

"I missed you." She said, smiling and looking down at him.

He laughed, "It's good to have you back." He smiled back at her.

She kissed him on the lips and he gently placed her back down on the floor of the console room.

He stroked her cheek, "You know, I remember that... Now at least."

"Yeah?"

"I remember waking up and feeling so happy... For no apparent reason."

"Really?"

"Yeah and now I know. It was you, _Napkin Girl._ " he poked her nose.

"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" she rolled her eyes at him.

He pulled out a red napkin from his pocket with ' _be patient_ ' written on it.

"Never." He smiled.

"You wrote that... back then?"

"Yeah, I told you I didn't want to forget..."

"And now you have to again..."

"But we'll remember... soon enough."

"Surely, we'll forget that too? Everything that's happened since before we got to Sanctum– But oh! Where's Pandora? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, Jack's going to look after her... I'm sure you understand why she can't stay?"

"Yes... Of course. That's going to be weird isn't it... what are we going to do about–"

Jack teleported into the console room.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt." He said.

They let go of each other.

"No, it's fine..." said McKenzie wiping her eyes.

"How is she?" The Doctor asked.

"She's perfectly fine, Martha and Mickey will keep a close eye on her till I get back, and she'll be a great part of the team." He smiled, "But uh... just to make sure, you need to take that retcon..." he looked over them both, "You might want to lie down."

"So what are you going to say, when we wake up?" asked The Doctor.

"Whatever you want, but I'm gonna head off after I tell you guys the good news again." He grinned excitedly.

"You know, I quite want to find out for myself thank you very much." said McKenzie.

"Awh, are you sure?"

"Yeah, you had your fun, it's my turn." McKenzie grinned as she gave Jack a hug.

"Alright," he laughed. "But again, you might want to find a place to lie down."

"We'll see you again soon." The Doctor smiled as they headed out of the console room.

"Yeah, very soon." He grinned and offered The Doctor a salute before disappearing again.

The next morning felt hazy, it was as if they'd drank too much the night before and collapsed onto the bed. The Doctor and McKenzie lay beside each other staring up at the ceiling.

"It feels like we've been asleep for a whole day... doesn't it?" asked McKenzie.

"It feels good though," he pulled her in close to him and she laughed, "I don't think I ever want to get up."

"Oh, don't squeeze me so tight, I think I'm gonna puke!"

"Alright, alright... I suppose we should get up." He took her hand, "So, what do you want to see today?" he asked.

"I dunno... show me... show me something amazing, something I've never seen before."

"Alright, something you've never seen before, coming right up!"


End file.
